Hey all! Sara from Its Your Day Events-Bellingham here, I wanted to take a quick minute and expand a bit on this question: Why do I need a Wedding Coordinator, when my venue is providing a coordinator? Truth be told, this is the question I get asked the most from my friends and family when they start planning their wedding. That and….how much should I budget for a wedding planner? - but that is a question for another blog.
I hate to be that girl, but, I’m going to pivot you right around and tell you that the answer is actually in the question. Isn’t that just the thing!? What do I mean you ask? Here is the scoop- Wedding coordinators and Venue Coordinators are NOT the same thing.
A Wedding Coordinator vs A Venue Coordinator
Wedding Coordinator: Helps with facilitating the wedding day, meeting with vendors, checking in on the couple, keeping everyone on task/time, and is your go to person if anything should go awry during the day. Think of it like a personal assistant that has been with you for months (maybe even years), and they are going to dive in and solve anything that comes their way, all the while managing the timeline and doing everything they can to make sure your vision comes together and that you have the time of your life. In short- wedding coordinators are looking out for YOUR best interests.
Venue Coordinator: Helps primarily with wedding facility management. I always say they are there to make sure no one starts throwing chairs out of windows etc, obviously that is a little extreme, and luckily we haven’t ever had that happen..but you get the gist. These are the folks we can lean on to show us the best spots for a first look, they are dimming the lights for the first dance, they know the venue inside and out. They have probably been with you for the majority of wedding planning as well, in fact, maybe they recommended your wedding coordinator to you. Overall though, they aren’t setting up decor or running out to buy a shirt for the Father of the Bride last minute- they are looking out for the VENUES best interest.
What Wedding Coordinators DO on the Day of
So, back to the question at hand- why do you need a wedding coordinator and not just a venue coordinator? Unless you are thinking you want to count on Auntie Caroline’s best friends, sister, that planned her daughters wedding 10 years ago- you are probably going to want to have a professional on site the day of your wedding that is fighting in your corner. You are going to want someone that knows your wedding plans inside and out, they know who to call if you are in a pickle, and also have the general wedding experience of managing a BIG day! Because, lets face it…this is going to be a BIG day- and you don’t want to have to go all Bridezilla on Auntie Caroline’s pal. I am in no way saying that venue coordinators aren’t essential and all around wonderful, I’m simply saying that you are probably going to want someone to lean on a bit more. Don’t get so overwhelmed with wedding planning that you start to dislike the process, then get frustrated when your Venue Coordinator doesn’t get back to you for a week. Odds are that if this is a busy venue, your Venue Coordinator could have more weddings in a month than some planners have all season. That is a lot to manage! Do yourself a favor and schedule some consultations with a few wedding coordinators, see if you feel you could work well together. I promise you the peace of mind is well worth the investment- and the industry discounts don’t hurt a bit.
Until next time- stay healthy + happy planning!
Who is It’s Your Day Events?
We are a Seattle, Bellingham and Bremerton, WA based wedding planning, wedding coordination and design agency. What we do is at times difficult to picture because the services we offer are intangible. When you are scrolling through beautiful photos, with stunning flowers, and amazing cohesive design; the magic behind that is the planning, design, and coordination. This is what we do.
We professionally organize, plan, and coordinate the details.
We dot the i's and cross the t's.
We triple check it all once more.
Then, when the day comes, we watch the wonderment and happiness on your face as your wedding day unfolds, just as you dreamed it would.
Contact us for any wedding planning, wedding coordination or design needs!
